Coaling station



July 21, 1925. 1,546,371

H. J. ECK

I COALING STATION Filed Jan. 24 1925 s Sheets-Sh oat '1 July 21, 1-925. 1,546,371

H. J. ECK

COALING STATION Filed "Jan. 24, 1925 3-SheebS-She et 2 k jz'devzfaf 5 1 E/ZfyMc/i Patented July 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT orricr..

HENRY J. ECK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO, ROBERTS 86 SCHAEFER COM- 4 PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

COALING STATION. i 2

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. Eon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Coaling Stations, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a coaling station, and particularly to a station intended for use in connection with locomotives, where a supply of coal is maintained, from which coal is supplied to locomotives as needed. It is also adapted, however, to a variety of other uses. It has for one object to provide,

in connection with such a station, means for filling the storage bin, wherein the hoisting motive power is located above the ground and controlled from below. It has for another object to provide in connection with such a coaling station means whereby coal is hoisted to the bin by a reversible drag bucket, which descends empty on one side of the bin, is dragged through a pile of coal, and filled, ascends full and is dumped, and then moves in the reverse direction, repeating the cycle of operation in that direction. Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the specification and claims.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse cross section through the coaling station;

Figure 2 is avertical longitudinal section through the coaling station;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the bucket;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the bucket;

Figure 5 is a section on an enlarged scale along the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a detail of a variant form.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout.

.i is a track adapted to support a car A above a receiving bin A The coal in the car may be discharged into the bin,associated with which are the inclined chutes A and the sliding gates A whereby the flow of coal to the hopper A is controlled. A is an inclined roof portion overlying the bin or passage A A A are any suitable deflectors adapted to guide material to the openings of the bin A I I B is a storage bin, preferably provided with an inclined bottom 13, the entire structure being supported on any suit-able frame work B Leading from-the storage bin B are the discharge chutes C, of which there may be; any suitable number, extending over the cars or engines C on the tracks 0 It will be understood that any suitable means may be employed for controlling the passage of the coal through the discharge chutes C.

D is any suitable supporting frame work or supporting walls positioned above the storage bin B. It may carry a roof D and also carries any suitable hoisting mechanism which, in the form herein shown, consists of a motor driven drum E about which pass one or more hoisting cables E The cable or cables E pass about the fixed sheaves E on either side of the roof or supporting structure. E E are a pair of sheaves rotatably mounted on the depending members E which are pivoted as at E E and which are connected for example by the spiral tension spring E which tends to draw them together, for example, into sub stantial parallelism, as shown in Figure 1. The cable or cables E pass downwardly about the sheaves E through vertical walls formed by the partition walls E and about the laterally positioned sheaves E? and the central bottom sheave E".

F F are inner track members which extend from above the top of the storage bin down along the outer side of each storage well to the receiving bin A Each pair of such tracks F is joined at the bottom by arcuate portions F and the intermediate horizontal section F F F i are outer track members in opposition to said inner tracks F and spaced slightly uniformly therefrom. They terminate as at F slightly above the arcuate portions F It will be understood that there are two pairs I of tracks, to engage the rollers, later described, on opposite sides of the hoisting bucket. F are arcuate guides or tracks, the purpose of which will later appear. I

At the top of each pair of tracks F F is a bucket dump which comprises an upwardly and inwardly inclined section K wherein the two tracks are spaced more widely apart and a vertical arm K and a horizontal arm K The vertical arm is formed by the opposition of the vertical continuation of the a I s 1,546,371

outer track F and opposed vertical track section'pKi The horizontal arm is formed of a horizontal "extension of the-inner track F, overlain by the horizontal track Kt. The tracks K andK are connected by an arouate portion, and the distance between the opposite tracks of each pan of arms 1s substantially equal to the normal separation between the opposed tracks F F*.

G is any suitable hoisting bucket, herein.

shown as having the relatively plane sides 1 G ,the spam top Giana the solid flat bot- G Secured to the bottom is thesquare shaft G having the cylindrical ends G on which are mounted the inwardly flanged r'olleis G 'Alignedwith them are the rolle'rs"Gr"a'n-d of"substantially the same di mensi'ons andform,' rotatably mounted adj'acentthe top "of the bucket.

'livoted' at the ends of theshaft G*, for

I example onthecylindrica1 extensions (3' are'the table-"securing elements H having the opposed arms" H axially apertured to receive the'ends or the cable bails Positioned about the upper rollers G are I the "arcn ate angle iron guides H of such sliap'e'and dimension and position as to prevent the cable bail engaging the rollers.

The bucket is provided with two substana-any idea-seal cable this each comprising the "fleiiible'membe'rs HK'already alluded to the outer ends of which are-secured to the socket members H which are pivoted to the rigid cross yokesr H H a re flanged rollers"substantially identical with G and G The yokes H are centrally secured to the cable or cables E i JJ "are'i'einl'or'cing' shoes'or lips having a sharp forward edge J J J flare rear re inforc'in'g shoes atthelo'wer corners of the buckets, adapted to engage the tracks '01" guides F j'ustable weight'or weights suspended from the pulley L I may provide any suitable shocl'rf absorbers IE to] cushion the: downwaird imoveinent the slides L L 7 V V will be realized that while have de-, scribedan'd' shown a fully operative device, nevertheless many changes may be shown in the size/shape, number and disposition of p-alftswi'thout 'departing from the spirit of my invention, and that wish-my description anddraw'i'ng to bet'aken as in a broad V sense'illus'trative rather than aslimiti-ng me to the. specific structure herein described and shown. c

from the perpendicular. Y

arms H of the cable bails are laterally The use and operation of my invention are as follows: I

' I provide a material handling installation, and particularly a coaling installation, wherein receiving pits or hoppers are positioned beneath the track or tracks over which the coal cars run. The coal may be dumped into the receiving pits in any suitable manner and is permitted to flow into a transverse 'open ended passage, which passes beneath the track. terial into this passage may be controlled in any suitable manner, for eXa-mple, by slide gates.

Positioned above the track is any suitable storage hopper or bin, having outlets or spouts adapted to deliver coal, or other material, over tracks positioned toone side of the coal conveying track. The details of coal delivery are not part of the presentin'vention'and obviously the coal hoist hereinshown coul-dbeused with a variety of dillerent installations.

I provide an automatic reversing cable hoist, positioned in the tower and above the storage bin. Fastened in the circuit of the hoist cable. is a hoist bucket having twobails pivoted to its bottom. The buclret is provided with rollers vertically aligned and positioned at its top and bottom. Rollers, mounted at each end of each bail, normally engage guide tracks which constrain the bucket to a vertical position, except when it is passing beneath the track. At the extremity of its upward movement the bucket reaches the dumping element comprising a horizontal guide adapted to engage the upper roller, and a vertical guide slightly spaced laterally from the main guide tracks and adapted to engage the lower roller. The vertical and the horizontal guide tracks are at the extremity o1 aninclin'ed' portion oi the mainvertieal guides, at which point the distance between the opposed tracks is somewhat increased. As the full bucket is drawn upwardly along the main guides F F, the-upper roller engages the inclined portion K and deflected, thus tilting the bucket Since the flexible spaced, by the arcuate deflectors H from the center: of the bucket, as soon as the rollers G are released by the tracks F and F the tension on the cable throws the top of the bucket toward the opening of the storage bin. The'upper roller is then engaged by the horizontal track extension K whereas the rollers on the bail and the lower rollers continue up the vertical extension K Since the bail is pivoted to the bottom olthe bucket, it draws the bottom roller upwardly, while the top rollermoves laterally. VVhe-n the bottom roller reaches a level higher than the top roller,'the to roller recedes along the track extension and ion finally, as the upward movement of the bucket continues, is aligned vertically beneath the top roller. The bucket then hangs vertically with its opening down, its load having meanwhile been dumped into the storage bin, and starts its reverse excursion, which terminates in its dumping discharge at the opposite side of the storage bin.

It will be understood that I provide any necessary control means for the motor which will serve automatically to reverse the motor when the bucket is reversed, any necessary period of pause being provided. The

timing and control mechanism for the mo tor is not described in detail since its details do not of themselves form any part of the present invention.

In order to take up the slack of the cable I provide the pivoted and yieldingly con nected sheaves E E which always tend to grasp between them the two stretches of cable or cables E at opposite sides of the driving drum E. WVhen the bucket is being lowered empty downwardly along the left side of Figure 1 for example, the weight of the bucket itself exerts tension on the cable above it but the cable below it and at the opposite side of the tower is slack. However, the tension of the bucket on the cable draws the left hand sheave E to the left, and its tensional connection draws the right hand sheave E with it to the left. Similarly when the bucket reaches the hopper A and scoops its load the cable above it along the right hand side of the tower is under tension, and draws the right hand sheave E to the right, in turn moving the left hand sheave with it to the right and taking up the slack in the stretch of the cable along the left of the tower as shown in Figure 1.

The bucket, in its excursion through the hopper A is guided by the tracks or angles F which engage its upper corners. The sharp lips J scoop up the coal and protect the edge of the bucket. The rollers on the bucket and bails are guided by the arcuate sections of the track F and the bails are permitted to ride high enough to prevent interference with the coal being scooped, by the horizontal section F I prefer to provide a clearance of several inches between the sides of the bucket and the hopper as it passes through, so that there will be no shearing action and no tendency to grinding and degredation of the coal between load gathered by the bucket and hopper.

The bucket as it passes through the hopper A is automatically determined by the height of the ingress openings as controlled by the gates A The volume admitted being determined by the angle of repose of the coal.

Since my coal dumps on both sides of the bin it fills the whole bin evenly and increases the elfective capacity of the bin.-

By using aligning rollers on the ends of the cable bail I insure that cable, which is secured to the center of the transverse member of the bail, is aligned with the bucket sheaves at. the bottom of the bucket.

Iclaim:

1. A reversible coaling bucket comprising a. bucket body having a solid bottom and an open mouth, and a plurality of bails concentrically pivoted to the bottom of the bucket.

2. A coaling bucket comprising a bucket body having a solid bottom and an open mouth, and a plurality of bails pivoted to the bottom of the bucket, rollers on the sides of said bucket adjacent the point of attachment of said bails, and rollers aligned therewith and positioned adjacent the top of the bucket. V

3. A coaling bucket comprising a bucket body having a solid bottom and an open mouth, and a plurality of bails secured to the bottom of the bucket, rollers on the sides of said bucket adjacent the point of attachment of said bails, and rollers aligned therewith and positioned adjacent the top of the bucket, and guard elements adapted to space the bails from contact with said last mentioned rollers.

4. In a material handling installation, a hoist bucket having guiding rollers longitudinally aligned on the sides thereof ad jacent its top and bottom, a hoisting cable, and bails for the said bucket pivoted adjacent the bottom of said bucket and se cured in the circuit of the hoisting cable, guide elements adapted to engage said rollers and to constrain said bucket to travel along a predetermined path, and means adjacent the top of said guide elements for laterally guiding the top of the bucket and for vertically guiding the bottom of the bucket during said lateral movement, to tilt the bucket.

5. In a material handling installation, a hoist bucket having guiding rollers longitudinally aligned on the sides thereof adjacent its top and bottom, a hoisting cable, and bails for the said bucket pivoted adjacent the bottom of said bucket and se-- cured in the circuit of the hoisting cable,-

guide elements adapted to engage said rollers and to constrain said bucket to travel along a predetermined path, and means ad jacent the top of said guide elements for laterally guiding the top of the bucket and for vertically guiding the bottom of the bucket during said lateral movement, to tilt the bucket, comprising an inclined section, a horizontal guide member projecting from said inclined section and adapted to engage the rollers adjacent the top of the bucket, and a vertical guide adapted to engage the rollers adjacent the bottom of the bucket.

6.,In a material handling installation, a

hoist bucket having guiding rollerslongitudinally aligned on the sides thereof adjacent its top and bottom, a hoisting cable, and bails for the said'bucket pivoted adjacent the bottom of said bucket and se-' cured in the circuit of the hoisting cable, vertical guide elements adapted to engage said rollers and to constrain said bucket to travel along a vertical path, and means adjacent the top of said guide elements for laterally guiding the top of the bucket and for vertically guiding the bottom of the bucket during said lateral movement, to tilt the bucket, comprising an inclined guide section, a horizontal guide member projecting from said inclined section and adapted to engage the rollers adjacent the top of the bucket, and a vertical guide adapted to engage the rollers adjacent the bottom of the bucket, said cable depending vertically from a point laterally removed from the main vertical guide elements.

7. In a material handling installation, a-

receiving bin, and a storage bin positioned above it, a hoist bucket adapted to be drawn through said receiving bin, guide rollers longitudinally aligned on the sides of the bucket adjacent its top and bottom, a hoist cable passing through said receiving bin and over said storage bin, bails for said bucket pivoted adjacent its bottom, and secured in the circuit of the hoist cable, guide elemcntsadapted to engage said roll ers and to constrain said bucket to travel along a lined path, and means adjacent the tops of said guide elements, and above the top ofsaid storage bin, for laterally guiding the top of the bucket and for vertically guiding the bottom of the bucketj during said lateral movement, to'tilt the bucket over said storage bin. V

8. In a material handling installation, a receiving bin, and a storage bin positioned above it, a hoist bucket adapted to be drawn through said receiving bin, guide rollers longitudinally aligned on the sides of the bucket adjacent its top and bottom, a hoist cable passing through said receiving bin and over said storage bin, bails for said bucket pivoted adjacent its bottom, and secured'in the circuit of the hoist cable, guide elements adapted to engage said rollers and to constrain said bucket to travel along a fixed path, and means adjacent the tops of said guide elements, and above the top of said storage bin, for laterally guiding the top of the bucket and for vertically guiding the bottom of the bucket during said lateral movement, to tilt the bucket over said storage bin, the bucket being adapted to swing into reverseposition, after discharge, with its open mouth facing downwardly.

I 9. In a material handlinginstallation, a receiving bin, and a storage bin positioned above it, a hoist bucket adapted to be drawn through said receiving bin, guide rollers longitudinally aligned on the sides of the bucket adjacent its top and bottom, a hoist cable passing through said receiving bin and over said storage bin, bails for said bucket moven'i'ent, to tilt "the bucket over said stor- 1 age bin, and means for actuating said. cable. to move the bucket through said receiving bin and upwardly along said vertical guide elements, to the top'oif said storagebimand for moving the bucket, downwardly along the same course, after it has been tilted, and through the receiving bin in the op posite direction.

'10. In a material handling installation, a receiving bin, and a storagebi-n positioned above it, a hoist bucket having an open top and a solid bottom, means for'drawing said bucket through said receiving bin, and for elevating it to dumping position'above said storage bin, means for tilting it at the dump-* ing point, to deposit its contents in the storbin, and means for returning said bucketdownwardly along its previous path of ascent with its open mouth facing down,v and for drawing it through said receiving bin in the opposite: direction and upwardly to the top of the opposite side of the storage bin. I

11. In a material handling installation, a receiving bin, anda storage abin positioned above it, a hoist bucket and means for moving said bucket through said receiving bin alternately in theoppositedirections, and for conveying said bucket, intermediate its passages througlrsaid receiving bin, to discharge position above the storage bin alter 'nately at opposite sides of the storage bin,

and means for reversing said bucket, at each such discharge.

12. In a material handling installation, a receiving passage and means for delivering material to it, a storage bin positioned above it, a solid bottom hoist bucket and means for drawing said bucket through said receiving passage alternately in opposite directions, and for conveyingthe filled bucket to dumping position alternately at opposite sides of the storage bin, comprising a hoist cable and means for actuating italternately in reverse direction, and a plurality of bails, in"

the cable circuit, pivoted to the bucket.

13. In a material handling installatioma receiving passage and means for delivering material to it, a storage bin positioned above it, ahoist bi'icket, means for drawing said 5 age bin, and means for reversing the bucket at the termination of each hoisting excursion, comprising guide members aligned at the top and bottom of the bucket and guide elements, adjacent the dumping point, adapted to cause the upper guide member to move laterally and the lower guide member to move vertically.

15. In a material handling installation, a

receiving passage and means for delivering material to it, a storage bin positioned above it, a hoist bucket, means for drawing said bucket through said receiving passage alternately in opposite directions, and for con veying the filled bucket to dumping position alternately at opposite sides of the storage bin, comprising a hoisting cable and means for actuating it, and a pair of bails, in the circuit of said cable, pivoted to the bottom of said bucket.

16. In a material handling installation, a receiving passage and means for delivering material to it, a storage bin positioned above it, a hoist bucket, means for drawing said bucket through said receiving passage al-. ternately in opposite directions, and for conveying the filled bucket to dumping position alternately at opposite sides of the storage bin. comprising a hoisting cable and means for actuating it, a pair of bails, in the circuit of said cable, pivoted to the bottom of said bucket, guide members aligned at the top and bottom of the bucket and guide elements, adjacent the dumping point, adapted to cause the upper guide member to move laterally and the lower guide member to move vertically, in response to the upward pull of the said cable.

17. In a material handling installation, a material receiving hopper. a storage hopper, a hoist bucket, a hoist cable, and means for actuating it alternately in opposite directions, and means for reversing said bucket at the termination of each hoisting excursion.

18. In a material handling installation. a material receiving hopper. a storage hopper, a hoist bucket, a hoist cable, and means for actuating it alternately in opposite directions, and means for reversing said bucket at the termination of each hoisting excursion, comprising elements adapted to limit the movement. of the top of the bucket to a substantially horizontal plane, while permitting movement of the bottom of th bucket substantially vertically.

19. In a material'handling installation, a hopper, a hoist bucket, means for conveying said bucket to dumping position above said hopper and means for reversingsaid bucket at the termination of each said hoisting excursion.

20. In a material-handling installation, a hopper, a hoist bucket, and means for elevating it to dumping position alternately at the opposite sides of said hopper, and means for reversing said bucket at the limit of each said hoisting excursion.

21. In a material handling installation, a track, a scoop passage passing transversely beneath said track and being provided with openings at each side/thereof, a, hopper beneath said track adapted to deliver material into said scoop passage, a closed bottomed hoist bucket, and means for drawing it through said passage.

22. In a. material handling installation, a scoop passage passing transversely beneath said track and being provided with openings at each side thereof, a hopper beneath said track adapted to deliver material into said scoop passage, a closed bottomed hoist bucket, and means for drawing it through said passage, and means for adjusting the maximum height of the discharge from said hopper into said scoop passage.

23. In a material handling installation, a track, a scoop passage passing transversely beneath said. track and being provided with openings at each side thereof, a hopper beneath said track adapted to deliver material into said scoop passage, a closed bottomed hoist bucket, and means for drawing it through said passage, and means for adjusting the maximum height of the discharge from said hopper into said scoop passage, comprising a vertically adjustable gate element.

24. A coaling bucket comprising a bucket body having a. solid bottom and an open mouth, a bail pivoted adjacent the bottom of the bucket, guidemembers aligned adjacent the top and bottom of the bucket, a substantially rigid cross piece for said bail, of substantially the same length as the diameter of the bucket, and guide members at the ends of said cross piece.

25. In a material handling installation, a track, a. receiving passage beneath said track, a storage bin positioned above said track, a hoist bucket, means for drawing said bucket through said passage alternately in opposite directions, and for conveying the filled bucket to dumping position alternately at opposite sides of the storage bin, comprising a drum and a motor therefor, a cable circuit actuated by said said bucket through said passage alternately in opposite vdirections, and for conveying the filled bucket to dumping position alternately at opposite sides of the storage bin, comprising a drum and a motor therefor, a'cable circuit actuated by said drum and including said hoist bucket, and means "for taking up the slack in said? cable, comprising a plurality of sheaves engaging said cable at opposite sides'of said drugin, pivoted supports upon ,ivhich said sheaves are mounted, and yielding meanstending to move said sheaves, against said cable, transversely to the normal path of the cable.

27' In a material handling installation,

a track, a receiving passage beneath said track, astorage bin' positioned'above said track, a hoist bucket, means for drawing said bucket through said passage alternately in opposite directions, and for conveying the filled bucket to dumping position alternately at opposite sides of the storage bin, comprising a drum and a motor therefor, a cable circuit actuated by said drum and including said hoist bucket, and means for taking up" the slack in said cable, comprising a pair of sheaves engaging, said cable at opposite sides of said drum, pivoted supports upon which said sheaves are mounted, and yielding .means tending to move said sheaves toward each other.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cookand State of Illinois, this 9th day of January, 1925,

HENRY J. m. 7 

